This invention relates generally to storage systems and, more particularly, to a modular storage system having as its foundation a mounting clip that mounts to exposed wall studs or ceiling joists without the use of tools or additional fasteners. It provides a safe and secure connection that can be removed and reinstalled as desired.
In garages, basements, shops, offices, and buildings under construction, there are collections of items that are stored for short and long term. With varying degrees of organization, there can be clothing, tools, office supplies, sporting equipment, bicycles, recreational toys, yard furniture, yard tools, paint cans, gas cans, gardening accessories, lawn chemicals and any other item that can be stored in such areas. The degree of organization depends in large part on the availability of suitable storage space that may or may not be dedicated to the particular item being stored.
The notion of “a place for every thing and every thing in its place” has spurred home centers to stock large inventories of shelving and related items. Entire stores are now devoted to selling products for efficient storage of household and office items.
Shelving can be mounted on a wall and provide ample space for small items that are not desirably stored on a floor. Shelves and specialized racks are mounted on walls or ceilings using nails, screws or other suitable connectors. Mounting these items can vary in the degree of difficulty and the success and safety of a storage unit will, in large part, depend upon the skill of the installer.
To simplify installation, storage systems are known that use a single type of wall connection component on which various types of hangers can be mounted. A wall connection in one such system is a vertical standard having a series of vertical slots into which shelf brackets are inserted. The standards are screwed to a wall and are most secure when the screws are driven into the wooden studs supporting the wall.
Shelves are then mounted on the brackets and a number of different hooks, racks, and hangers can then be attached to store clothing, linens, office supplies, kitchen sundries, shop and yard tools, bicycles, skis and other sporting equipment.
These systems enable one to master the installation of a single type of component and realize the benefit of numerous different storage receptacles that are for general storage or dedicated receptacles. They typically provide a permanent installation of the standard, but are able to be rearranged with whatever storage receptacle is required for a given time. The systems are popular and efficient organizers, but they tend to be expensive and require numerous components for even basic installations.
Different types of clips, hangers, and mounts have been devised to simplify storage and/or installation. See for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,852,802; 3,586,284; 4,286,444; 5,067,200; 5,172,529; 5,199,218; 5,842,581; and 6,315,134.
Despite efforts in the prior storage systems, there is none that provides a truly secure connection that can be installed without the use of tools. There is no known system that permits easy relocation of a mounting standard to suit changing storage needs. Further, there is no known storage system that provides installers of any skill level the identical measure of safety and precision for the wall or ceiling connection. Finally, there is no known system having a connector that is versatile enough to be used as a connector for assembly of “knock-down” or temporary furniture that can be used on construction sites, for example.